Obituaries are basically the original storytelling platform. Long before blogs or TikTok, newspapers printed these tiny biographies to say, “Hey, this person existed, and here’s why that mattered.” The Pasadena Citizen does this with a warmth that feels genuine, not like a corporate press release. It’s personal.
Reading one is like listening to a friend’s memory over coffee. You get the sadness, sure, but also the laughter. The unexpected hobbies. The love for a good joke. It reminds us that every life has a plot twist worth sharing—even if that twist was just perfecting a sourdough starter during lockdown.
A Little Like Social Media, But Better
Scroll through an obituary page and you’ll see what I mean. People leave comments, share photos, and tag family members—just like Facebook, but with more heart and less drama. The Pasadena Citizen’s online obituaries let you leave a virtual candle or a story, creating a living archive of kindness.
Compare that to a typical Instagram post. An obituary doesn’t ask for likes or followers. It asks you to remember, to feel, and sometimes to send flowers or a casserole. It’s social media where the algorithm is just human connection. How cool is that?
